1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and in particular, to voltage converters for radio frequency (RF) electronics.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Power amplifiers can be included in mobile devices to amplify a RF signal for transmission via an antenna. For example, in mobile devices having a time division multiple access (TDMA) architecture, such as those found in Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), and wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) systems, a power amplifier can be used to amplify a RF signal having a relatively low power. It can be important to manage the amplification of a RF signal, as a desired transmit power level can depend on how far the user is away from a base station and/or the mobile environment. Power amplifiers can also be employed to aid in regulating the power level of the RF signal over time, so as to prevent signal interference from transmission during an assigned receive time slot.
The power consumption of a power amplifier can be an important consideration. One technique for reducing power consumption of a power amplifier is envelope tracking, in which the voltage level of the power supply of the power amplifier is changed or varied in relation to the envelope of the RF signal. Thus, when the envelope of the RF signal increases, the voltage supplied to the power amplifier can be increased. Likewise, when the envelope of the RF signal decreases, the voltage supplied to the power amplifier can be decreased to reduce power consumption.
A voltage converter, such as a DC-to-DC converter, can be included in an envelope tracker to reduce the design complexity of the envelope tracker and/or to improve the overall power efficiency of the mobile device. For example, an envelope tracker can include a DC-to-DC converter for generating a plurality of DC output voltages and an amplifier for generating the power amplifier supply voltage by adjusting the magnitude of the DC output voltage closest in voltage level to the desired power amplifier supply voltage.
There is a need for improved voltage converters, including, for example, improved voltage converters for use in power amplifier systems.